Machine for molding rods



June 15, 1937. N. CORSI MACHINE FOR MOLDING RODS Filed July 8, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

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June 15, 1937.

N. cons: 2,083,986

MACHINE FOR MOLDING RODS Filed July 8, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 V m as 75 7 1:: a H r -s 9 6 6/ I 0' a --g '33, 94 6 J7 if 7 a 29 gs I l/ 7? //l 9027 INVENTOR.

TTORNEYS.

June 15, 1937. N. coRsl MACHINE FOR MOLDING RODS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 8, 1956 INVENTOR. 38 A/lcbo/as Cora-1;

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Patented June 15, 1937 FFEE 2,083,986 MACHINE FOR MOLDING RODS Nicholas Corsi, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application July 8, 1936, Serial No. 89,567

3 Claims.

The invention relates to machines for making rods of plastic material particularly cork rods. It has for its main object to provide a machine which will greatly increase the production of such rods, which will produce a rod of a much more even texture throughout its whole length, and which will occupy considerably less space, considering its capacity, than other machines performing work of this type.

Another object is to provide a machine which requires no skilled operator, which is practically automatic in its operation, which will thoroughly agitate and properly feed the material used for making the rods, which has no parts easily broken or apt to get out of order, and which can be manufactured and operated at a comparatively low cost.

These and various other objects and advantages will be readily understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which, however, modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional plan view shown approximately on lines 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4.- is a front elevation of the chain feeding mechanism,

Fig. 5 is a fragmental view showing the chain construction and the tube release mechanism,

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of a link of the upper chain,

Fig. 7 is a side view of the hopper with the side wall removed,

Fig. 8 is a fragmental top view of Fig. '7, and

Fig. 9 is a slight modification of the operating lever for the chain operating mechanism.

Referring now to all the views, simultaneously, the machine consists of a stand or table It! having legs H. On the top of this stand two posts [2 and i3 are mounted and these posts support a cross beam M which extends transversely over the stand at a considerable height above it. Forwardly-extending brackets l5 and I6 and rearwardly-extending brackets ll and it are formed on the stand and from these brackets, tie rods H) are connected to the cross beam 14 to steady it. The tie rods are provided with turn buckles 20 to tighten them. A main shaft 2! is mounted in the stand and this shaft is preferably driven from a motor 22 through a speed reducing device 23. Pinions 24 are secured to the outer end 55 of the main shaft and these pinions drive a pair of large gears 25, mounted on the ends of a shaft 26, likewise mounted in bearings on the stand.

Crank pins 21 are provided on the outer sides of the gears 25 and on these crank pins connecting rods 28 are mounted. The other end of the connecting rods are connected to studs 29 secured on the ends of a cross head 30. This cross head is provided with sleeves 3! which engage slidingly on the posts I2 and I3 so that when the gears 25 are turned, the cross head will slide up and down on these posts.

A pair of vertical supports 32 and 33 are mounted on top of the table and on these posts sleeves 34 and 35 are free to turn. Each of these sleeves, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. l, is provided with a sprocket wheel 38 near its upper end and another sprocket wheel 31 near its lower end. A chain 38 is mounted on the lower sprocket wheel and another chain 39 on the upper sprocket wheel. These chains will be described in detail later.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the chains are operated by the following mechanism. A pair of outer guides 40 and 4! are mounted on the table as plainly shown in Fig. 3, as is also an inner guide 42. A bar 43 is slidingly moved between the guides 4i and 42. This bar is provided with a pawl 44 at its outer end and this pawl is held in engagement with the teeth of a ratchet wheel 45 by means of a spring 46. The ratchet wheel is made integrally with the sleeve 34 and consequently with the sprocket wheels 36 and 31 of that sleeve.

An operating bar 41 is slidingly mounted in a bracket 48 secured to the cross head 30. This operating bar is provided with a pin 49 at its upper end which engages on top of the bracket 48 so that the operating bar will be lifted with the cross head. The lower end of the operating bar is provided with sidewardly extending angular faces 50 and 5! and the lower end of the bar is free to more in an opening 52 formed in the inner guide 42. A roller 53 is secured to the bar 43.

It will be evident that, when the operating bar 41 is lifted by the cross head 30, the face 50 will engage with the roller 53 and thus cause the bar 43 to be moved sidewardly so that the pawl 44 engaged on the end of this bar will cause the sprocket wheel 45 to rotate one tooth. As the operating bar 41 is again lowered the bar 43 is returned to its normal position by a fiat spring 54.

Another bar 55 is slidingly mounted between the guides 48 and 42. This is likewise provided with a roller '56 which engages on the angular face 5|. When the operating bar 41 is lifted the roller is pushed sideward and so, consequently, is the bar 55. The outer end 57 of this bar engages in one of the ratchet teeth, as plainly shown in Fig. 3, during the main part of the reciprocating movement of the cross head 30, so as to prevent rotation of the chains during this operation. It is pulled out of engagement while the pawl 44 moves the ratchet wheel 45 one tooth. The bar 55 is held in its normal position by a spring 58. In other words, when the operating bar 41 is lifted the end 57 is pulled out of engagement with the ratchet wheel while the pawl 44 turns the ratchet wheel.

Fig. 9 shows a slight modification of the operating bar. In this case the operating bar 41A, instead of being provided with angular faces, have been provided with angular slots 50A and MA in which the rollers 53 and 56 engage. This construction makes the operation of the bars 43 and 55 positive so that the springs 54 and 58 may be dispensed with.

Reference is now made particularly to Figs. 5 and 6, and the chains 38 and 39 will now be described in detail. A carrier member 59 is secured to the lower side of the chain 38 and is provided with a small rounded button 60 of suf ficient size to fit within one of the tubes 6I, in which the rods are molded. The upper chain 39 has a carrier 62 secured to its upper side and this carrier member has a downwardly-extend ing portion 63 in which a semi-circular opening 64 is formed, as plainly shown in Fig. 6. A hole 65 is drilled in the member 62 to align with the opening in the tube 6!. A spring 66 is secured in the member 63 in such a manner that its ends 61 will hold the upper end of the tube in the semi-circular opening 64. The carrier members 59 slide on rails 68 and 69 mounted on the stand, as plainly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

A hopper I is mounted on the table by means of two columns II and I2. The lower and forward end I3 of this hopper extends in over the rear part of the upper chain, as plainly shown in Fig. 2. Reference is now also made to Figs. 7 and 8. A plurality of circular openings I4 are provided in the lower side of the forward end 13 of the hopper and these holes align with the holes 65 in the upper chain members, so that material from the hopper may be fed into the tubes held by the chains. A slide 15, provided with semi-circular notches 16, is mounted in the lower part of the hopper and employed to alternately open and close the holes I4.

This slide is operated in the following manner. A lever I1 is mounted on the side of the table ID on a screw I8 and is provided with a roller 19 which is adapted to engage on a cam part 80 mounted on the inner side of the rim of one of the gears 25. The free end of the lever 11 is connected, by means of a connecting rod 'BI, to a lever 82 and this lever is secured to a shaft 83 on which a plurality of levers 84, located inside of the hopper, are rigidly connected. These levers 84 are connected to the slide. The lever 82 is preferably lengthened and a Weight 85 suspended from its free end, so as to aid in the operation of the mechanism and also to impart a certain jar when the slide is closed. It is evident that as the gear 25 rotates the roller I9 will be lifted by the cam member 80 and thus the slide will open. When the cam member reaches the point shown in Fig. 2, it is also evident that the lever I'I will be caused to drop, the weight 85 aiding in this, and thus the slide I will be closed.

An agitator 86, provided with a plurality of arms 81, is mounted crosswise in the hopper to stir up its contents. This agitator is mounted on a shaft 88. A pusher 89 is likewise mounted inside of the hopper and employed to crowd its contents towards the front of the hopper. This pusher is operated by a link 90 actuated by a crank shaft 9|. A sprocket gear 92, shown only in Fig. 1, drives another sprocket gear 93, shown only in Fig. 3, by means of a chain 94. The sprocket gear 93 is rigidly connected to another sprocket gear 95. The shaft 88 carries a sprocket gear 96 on its outer end and the crank shaft 9| carries a sprocket gear 91. These two sprocket gears are driven by a chain 98 which receives its power from the sprocket gear 95. Another slide 99 is adjustably secured in the hopper, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and provided with fingers I00 at its lower edge. As the material from the hopper is crowded into the forward end of the hopper by the pusher 89, it is broken up by being passed between these fingers.

A plurality of plungers I M are slidingly mounted in the cross head 30 and suspended from the cross head by means of collars I02. These plungers are so arranged in the cross head that they are aligned with the openings 65 in the upper chain and consequently with the tubes 6| held in the chain. While, as said, the upper end of the plungers are supported in the cross head 30, the lower ends are supported in a cross bar I03 contained under the upper side of the forward end of the hopper 10. Each of the plungers is provided with a collar I04 which is rigidly secured to the plunger and on top of which a compression spring I05 is placed. These collars are placed at gradually increasing distances below the cross head, as plainly shown in Fig. l. The reason for this will be explained when the complete operation of the machine is described.

To counterbalance the weight of the cross head 30, sheaves I06 are mounted on top of the machine. Cables I01 pass over these sheaves, each having one end secured to the cross head and the other end passes over another sheave I09. These last-mentioned sheaves are mounted on the outer ends of the arms I1 and I8. Counterweights I09 are suspended from the free ends of the cables.

A pulley H0 is mounted on the shaft 26, as shown in Fig. 1. This pulley, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, drives a belt I II mounted on a second pulley H2, secured on the shaft H3 on which a wider pulley H4 is also mounted. The shaft is supported in bearings H5 mounted on a stand H6 and a conveyor belt H1 is driven by the pulley H4 and another pulley contained underneath the table I0.

A collar H8, having a forwardly-extending bearing H9, is rigidly secured on the post I3. A short shaft I20 is mounted in the bearing II 9 and on one end of this shaft an arm I2I is secured, while on the other end a knock-out" lever I22 is mounted. This is best illustrated in Fig. 5. The knock-out lever I 22 is so located that normally it rests against one of the tubes '6 I. A bar I23 has its upper end secured to the cross head 30 and its lower end adapted to engage with the arm I2I when the cross head descends, so that the knock-out lever I22 will force. the upper end of the tube out through the opening 64 in the upper carrier member 62 and cause it to fall on the conveyor belt III, as illustrated in Fig. 3. A tension spring I24 restores the parts to their normal position after the tube has been knocked out.

A container I25, for holding a quantity of suitable lubricant, is secured to the cross head 36). A tubular member I26 is secured to an opening in the container and this member terminates, at its lower end, in a swab or brush I21 which is aligned with one of the tubes 6| held between the chains previously described. The tubular member has a plurality of small holes in the part on which the swab is secured so that lubricant from the container 1125 may seep into the swab and thus lubricate the tube with which it is aligned when the cross head descends.

The machine operates in the following manner. A quantity of the material from which the rods are to be molded, as for example comminuted cork mixed with a suitable binder, is placed in the hopper 10 and after being agitated by the agitator 86, a quantity of the material is forced between the fingers Ill!) by the pusher 89. In being forced between these fingers any lumps which might have formed in the material are effectively broken up and the material is now forced into the forward end 13 of the hopper, the slide i5 being closed.

The machine runs continuously and the operator places empty tubes in the chains by placing the lower end of a tube over the button 60 (see Fig. 5) and snapping the upper end into the opening 64 between the ends 61 of the spring. A number of empty tubes are shown inserted on the left hand side of the front of the machine. Each time the cross head 36 reaches the upper end of the stroke the pawl 44 turns the ratchet wheel 45 and moves all the tubes one step around.

The tubes contained in the rear part of the chain, or over the rail 68, are aligned with the plungers HH. Just prior to the descent of the cross head the cam member has lifted the lever 11 so that the slide 15 has uncovered the openings M through which the plungers lfll project through the hopper. At the same time a quantity of the material from the hopper has been emptied into each one of the tubes underneath the plungers. As the cross head descends the plungers descend with it. However, inasmuch as the collars I04 are not all placed the same distance below the cross head, as plainly shown in Fig. 1, the descent of the plungers will arrested just as soon as the plunger rests on the top of the material in its particular tube and, only when the cross head reaches the compression springs placed on top of the collars will pressure 0 be exerted against the quantity of material which has just entered each tube.

It will thus be seen that in the first tube to the left in the rear of the chain, only one charge of material will have entered and that this charge will be compressed down in the lower end of the tube. In the second tube from the left in the rear, two charges have entered the tube, one having been compressed by the first left hand plunger and the second now being ready to be compressed by the second left hand plunger. Thus as the tubes gradually progress from left to right in the rear each plunger compresses the new charge just entered, until the last right hand plunger compresses the final charge and the rod is finished. Thus for each reciprocation of the cross head, a complete tube is finished at the right hand side of the rear of the chain.

The tube after being finished progresses one step farther to the right when it encounters the of tubes, a cross head mounted on top of knock-cu mechanism shown in Fig. 5 and is knocked from. the chain in the manner previously described. The tube falls on the conveyor belt H! from which it may be manually removed or conveyed to some other place for the next operation of extracting the molded rod after it has been baked or otherwise treated.

In the same manner each time the cross head descends, the swab I21 enters one of the empty tubes on the left hand side of the machine and lubricates it. This lubrication serves several purposes; it reduces friction between the plungers and the tubes and it makes it easier to afterwards extract the moulded rods.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the only manual labor necessary is the filling of the hopper and the insertion of empty tubes in the front of the machine, otherwise the machine is completely automatic. It will also be noted that by charging the material into the tubes in small quantities and compressing each of these quantities separately, the density of the finished rods will be much more uniform than if the compression was done in one operation. In fact, the more plungers employed the more uniform will be the texture of the rods when finished.

While I have described and illustrated the invention as used for making round cork rods, it is evident that rods of other shapes and other materials might as readily be made on a machine of this kind.

Having described the invention and its objects, what I claim as new and wish to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine of the class described comprising a stand, a pair of vertical sleeves mounted on said stand and having sprocket wheels adjacent to their upper and lower ends, a pair of chains mounted on said sprocket wheels, said chains having means for supporting a plurality of tubes, a cross head mounted on top of the stand at a considerable distance above the upper chain, a plurality of plungers slidingly mounted in said cross head, said plungers aligned with the openings in several of the tubes contained in the said chains and having operating collars secured at different distances below the cross head so that the plungers will enter their co-acting tubes to different depths, a hopper mounted above the upper chain and through one part of which hopper all of said plungers pass, means for raising and lowering said cross head while the chains are standing still and for moving said chains after the plungers are out of engagement with the tubes, and means actuated by the cross head for releasing one of said tubes from the chains at each complete cycle of the cross head.

2. A machine of the class described comprising a stand, a pair of vertical sleeves mounted on said stand and having sprocket wheels adjacent to their upper and lower ends, a pair of chains mounted on said sprocket wheels, said chains having means for supporting a plurality the stand at a considerable distance above the upper chain, a plurality of plungers slidingly mounted in said cross head, said plungers aligned with the openings in several of t -e tubes contained in the said chains and having operating collars secured at different distances below the cross head so that the plungers will enter their co-acting tubes to different depths, a hopper mounted above the upper chain and through one part of which hopper all of said plungers pass, means for raising and lowering said cross head while the chains are standing still and for moving said chains after the plungers are out of engagement with the tubes, means actuated by the cross head for releasing one of said tubes from the chains at each complete cycle of the cross head, and a conveyor belt associated with the machine for conveying the released tubes from the machine.

3. A machine of the class described comprising a stand, a pair of vertical sleeves mounted on said stand and having sprocket wheels adjacent to their upper and lower ends, a pair of chains mounted on said sprocket wheels, said chains having means for supporting a plurality of tubes, a cross head mounted on top of the stand at a considerable distance above the upper chain,

gagement with the tubes, and means actuated by said cross head for lubricating the tubes.

NICHOLAS CORSI. 

